Lemongrass (Schisandra) is a liana plant from the Lemongrass family, which has become widespread in China, Japan, Korea, as well as in many regions and regions of Russia, including the Moscow region. There are about two dozen different species in the genus of these deciduous crops, but the most popular is the lemon tree.
Distinctive features of lemongrass are its long weaving stem, reaching 15 m in length, with a peeling surface of a dark brown hue, dense fragrant leaves of a dark green color, white-pink flowers and red juicy berries - fruits with seeds inside. The flowering period lasts no more than two weeks and begins in late May or early June. Harvesting is carried out in early autumn. It is recommended to protect young crops from the winter cold with a layer of fallen leaves and spruce branches; adult bushes do not need this. The berries, juice, leaves and bark of lemongrass have beneficial and healing qualities. They are used in folk medicine, in the preparation of drinks, desserts, in the confectionery industry.
Schisandra chinensis is the only cultivated species known for its Pervenets and Sadovy 1 varieties. Both varieties are frost-resistant and fast-growing. "Pervenets" is distinguished by high quality of fruits, medium ripening period and good resistance to diseases and pests, "Sadovy 1" brings abundant harvests of juicy and aromatic sweet-sour fruits.
Planting lemongrass in open ground
Dates, place and scheme of landing
The optimal time for planting lemongrass in warm regions is September-October, in other territories the spring period will be more favorable - late April - early May. The chosen place for growing the crop should be protected from strong gusts of wind and cold drafts, with good sunlight. This site can be located about one and a half meters from the building. The distance between plantings is 80-100 cm.
Soil preparation, selection and planting of seedlings
Two weeks before planting, it is necessary to prepare planting pits, the diameter of which is about 70 cm, and the depth is about 40 cm.A drainage layer is laid on the bottom from broken red brick or small crushed stone, the thickness of which is about 10 cm.The rest of the space in the pit is filled with a special soil mixture , consisting of equal parts of rotted humus and compost, leaf and sod land, superphosphate (200 gr) and wood ash (500 gr). Until the day of planting, the soil will settle slightly and become more dense.
When choosing seedlings, you need to pay attention to the necessary external characteristics:
- Age - 2-3 years;
- Height - 10-15 cm;
- The root part is healthy and well developed.
The seedling is placed in the center of the pit, the roots are spread over the soil surface and sprinkled with soil so that the root collar remains flush with the soil. Immediately after planting, abundant watering is carried out in a constructed near-trunk circle with a small earthen roller along the edge (about 10 cm). After soaking up the irrigation water, the soil is covered with humus or compost mulch.
Lemongrass care in the garden
Watering and spraying
It is recommended to irrigate in the near-trunk circle, the volume of irrigation water is moderate. On hot summer days, additional moisture will be required in the form of spraying the leaf mass. This water treatment is recommended for young and adult cultures. The water should be warm and settled; it is possible to leave containers with irrigation water in the open sun for heating. An adult plant needs about 5-6 buckets of liquid.
Soil care
The soil requires regular weeding and shallow loosening. To maintain moderate humidity and as additional food, you can use a mulch layer of humus or rotted compost.
Fertilization
In the first two years after planting, no additional feeding is required for lemongrass. Fertilizers begin to be applied only in the third year of life. It is recommended to use three different dressings during the season - in spring, summer and autumn. After each of them, the soil is moistened with warm irrigation water.
- In the spring (around the beginning of April) - 20-30 g of saltpeter.
- In summer (with an interval of 15-20 days) - a solution of bird droppings (for 20 liters of water - 1 kg) or mullein solution (for 10 liters of water - 1 kg).
- In autumn, a mixture of superphosphate (20 g) and wood ash (100 g) is introduced into the trunk circle of each bush to a depth of about ten centimeters.
Installation of supports
Trellis and self-made ladders are recommended to be used for growing lemongrass without fail, since such placement contributes to the teaching of a large amount of sunlight and heat by the plant and has a beneficial effect on the quality and abundance of fruits. Lemongrass without support grows like a regular small shrub and often lacks fruiting. Such a useful structure must be installed already in the first season of growing a fragrant and useful crop.
To make a trellis, you will need high pillars (from 2.5 to 3 m in height) and metal wire. Each pillar is dug into the soil to a depth of about 60 cm, with an interval of 2.5-3 m from each other. The wire is fixed to the posts in even rows at a height of 50 cm, 1.5 m and 2.5 m from the ground. The grown seedlings are tied first to the nearest wire, and then, as they grow, to each next one.
If lemongrass grows near the wall of a house or other building, then instead of a trellis, you can build wooden ladders and install them in an inclined form near the building. Such support will also perfectly support the growing shoots of lemongrass.
Pruning
In the first two years after planting the seedlings, the formation and increased growth of the root part occurs and therefore pruning is not required during this period. Starting from the third year of life, ground shoots grow at a high speed, and the pruning procedure becomes very important. With a strong thickening of the culture, shoots can be cut in the middle of the summer season, but it is best to do this in the autumn. On each bush, it is necessary to leave from 3 to 6 young shoots, and the rest are removed completely to the ground level. Removal of lemongrass shoots in winter and spring (the time of active sap flow) is contraindicated, since the plant may die.
Rejuvenating pruning is recommended for adult lemongrass, whose branches are 15-18 years old. Sanitary pruning can be done throughout the warm season. Cultures must be freed from damaged and dried branches, from small and diseased shoots, as well as from the constantly emerging root growth.An urgent procedure is needed when pests or diseases appear.
Transfer
A transplant for lemongrass is too much stress and he takes it hard. Florists and gardeners do not recommend transplanting without special need. Even such a propagation method as root division is not used in this case, so that the roots of the plant do not dry out when removed from the ground. If the situation is that the plant needs to be transplanted to another place, then try to transplant as quickly as possible, since lemongrass suffers from exposure of the root part. It is necessary to prepare the planting hole and soil mixture in advance, and only then dig up the plant.
Breeding methods for lemongrass
Seed propagation
Seeds can be planted in fall and spring. In the autumn, freshly harvested fruits are sown in the ground. After overwintering in the soil, in the spring they will give amicable shoots. When planting in spring, the prepared seeds, stratified for sixty days, are planted in planting boxes with a special soil mixture to a depth of about 5 mm, covered with paper and daily watering is carried out until shoots appear. Seedlings will appear in 10-15 days. Young tender seedlings should not be exposed to direct sunlight. As a prophylaxis and for disinfection, seedlings are irrigated with a weak manganese solution. After the appearance of 3-4 full-fledged leaves, the seedlings are transferred to more spacious containers and planted at a distance of 5-6 cm from each other.
Young lemongrass can be transferred to open ground in early June, after gradual accustoming the plants to open air and hardening. Open beds should be located in partial shade, the interval between plantings is 10 cm or more. In the first two years, it is recommended to use additional shelter for young crops for the winter. As a covering material, you can take fallen leaves and spruce branches. When the plants reach the age of three years, they can be planted in a permanent place.
Propagation by cuttings
For cutting cuttings, you need to take the tops of young shoots. A favorable time for grafting is mid-summer. The lower part of the cuttings is immersed in the Kornevin solution for a day, and then planted in moistened river sand. Planted cuttings should be covered with a glass jar or cut-off plastic bottle.
Reproduction by layering
Among the sprouted annual shoots at the base of the root, it is recommended to choose the strongest specimens, tilt them to the surface of the loosened earth, fix them with a wire and sprinkle with humus or peat soil with a layer about 15 cm thick.The first roots on the layers will begin to appear in about 4 months, and completely root the system will be formed only in 1.5-2 years. Then it will be possible to separate the layers and transplant to a permanent site for independent further development.
Reproduction by root suckers
It is recommended to dig out and plant root suckers in the second half of spring. It is advisable to choose several offspring that are located farther from the adult bush. It is necessary to prepare the landing site in advance and immediately after removing them from the ground, plant them on a new site. The root part should not dry out in the air, even for a short time. In the first months, the seedlings must be protected from direct sunlight and the soil must be abundantly moistened.
Major pests and diseases
Schisandra is resistant to pests and various diseases, including due to its bright aroma, but sometimes the disease can begin due to contact with a diseased plant or its close location on the site. To determine the true disease and take urgent measures to save cultures, it is necessary to know its main signs.
- Brown spots with black dotted spots on the back of the leaf plate indicate a fungal or bacterial infection - leaf spot. It is necessary to treat plants with preparations containing copper
- Large spots of a dark, almost black shade on the leaves, which eventually turn into holes, indicate phyllostictosis. Solutions with copper content are required.
- Brown spots up to two centimeters in diameter are ascochitis. Bordeaux liquid (1% solution) is required to process the leaves.
- Brown spots with a pinkish bloom are a fungal disease of ramulariasis. Special fungicides required.
- A loose bloom of white on the surface of leaf plates and stems, which eventually becomes brown in color, is powdery mildew. At the initial stage of the disease, a soda solution is used to combat, and in advanced conditions, solutions and preparations with copper.
- Decay of the root collar, part of the stem - a fungal disease Fusarium. The diseased plant must be removed completely, and the soil must be watered with a disinfecting solution.
Useful properties and contraindications
The leaves, fruits and seeds of Schisandra contain a huge amount of useful substances: organic acids, vitamins, fatty oil, many trace elements and biologically active components that are necessary for the human body in the complex treatment of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, liver and pancreas, nervous system and organs digestion. Schisandra berries and seeds are used to make decoctions and tinctures, which are necessary for healing from anemia and tuberculosis, diseases of the genitourinary system and hypertension. The substances contained in lemongrass are used by Chinese medicine to normalize blood sugar levels and to strengthen heart muscles. In our country, lemongrass is popular in folk recipes (as a preventive measure against flu and colds), as well as in the production of cosmetics (for the preparation of creams and masks).
When choosing lemongrass as a therapeutic or cosmetic product, you should consult with a specialist, since the plant has some contraindications.
